The Short Stack: The Los Angeles Week in Review, 1/12/2015 – 1/16/2015

Police BulletinThis week the LAPD took a long, hard look back at 2014 and shared some thoughts on the department’s year-end review. The number of infractions deemed violent (the group includes homicide, robbery, rape, and aggravated assault) was up nearly 15 percent, with a distinct increase in aggravated assaults and rapes. But it’s not all bad news—the city’s overall crime rate dipped slightly, and the department is taking steps aimed at curbing domestic abuse and street violence.

Ladies and GentsA West Hollywood ordinance mandating that all single-stall restrooms in public places be designated unisex went into effect Thursday. Now businesses have 60 days to replace gender-specific signage and finalize design updates. Those silhouette symbols for men and women? They’ll stay put on WeHo restrooms having more than one stall.

No Laughing MatterChloe Goins, one of the more than 20 women who have come forward in recent months to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct, gave a statement to the LAPD Wednesday, alleging that the comedian assaulted her in 2008. By doing so, Goins is potentially the first alleged victim of Cosby’s to come forward with criminal charges within California’s legal statute of limitations. The Cosby Show star has not been charged with a crime and has denied any wrongdoing.

So Not NormSixty-five years after Norm Roybark opened a diner near Sunset and Vine, his chain of Norms restaurants has changed hands, news that has our own historic conservation buff, Chris Nichols, a little nervous about the iconic company’s future. To protect the Beverly Grove location from the threat of destruction, the Los Angeles Conservancy is working to get the midcentury building Historic-Cultural Monument status.

CULTURE

Oscar ThursdayYesterday morning the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced which films and filmmakers made the 2015 nominations cut for showbiz’s biggest dance. Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel tied for most nods, garnering nine each. Among the list of Oscar hopefuls are names that were expected (Michael Keaton and Julianne Moore) and some that were not (Robert Duvall). Selma’s David Oyelowo was surprisingly overlooked for his turn as Martin Luther King Jr. in the Ava DuVernay flick, although the film did earn a nomination for Best Picture.

Tiki TimeFive very big years after opening his Culver City restaurant A-Frame, Roy Choi is switching things up. The hub for traditional Hawaiian cuisine, complete with Island-inspired decor, reopens following a short closure this month. “It’s like retiring after a championship,” says Choi. “It was just time for a change.”

Second PeakPour yourself a damn good cup of coffee: It was announced this week that Kyle MacLachlan’s well-caffeinated and pie-loving sleuth Agent Dale Cooper will return to Twin Peaks in 2016. MacLachlan expressed his excitement about working on the Showtime redo with filmmaker David Lynch at a press stop for the Television Critics Association.

Stiletto SwapNastyGal founder Sophia Amoruso (right) may be a #GirlBoss, but she’s no longer the only boss of her retail empire. Amoruso announced that she’s stepping down as CEO and has tapped Sheree Waterson to step into the role. Amoruso, meanwhile, is focusing on marketing, business expansion (NastyGal will open its second location, in Santa Monica, in the spring), customer engagement, and nailing her brand’s aesthetic.